Devices and methods for handbag handle attachment



Jan. 31, 1967 D. 1. REITER 3,301,294

DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HANDBAG HANDLE ATTACHMENT Filed March 26, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

INVENTOR DANIEL l. REITER BY Shapiro and Ska 0&0

ATTORNEYS Jan. 31, 1967 D. 1. REITER 3,301,294

DEVICES AND METHODS FDR HANDBAG HANDLE ATTACHMENT Filed March 26, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FIG. 10 DANIEL l. REITER ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent O 3,301,294 DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HANDBAG HANDLE ATTACHMENTDaniel I. Reiter, 868 6th Ave., New York, N.Y. 10001 Filed Mar. 26,1965, Ser. No. 442,990 15 Claims. (Cl. 15033) This invention relates tohandles for handbags or the like and more particularly to devices andmethods for providing handbag handle attachments.

Applicants prior patents, Nos. 2,978,766, issued April 11, 1961, and3,039,506, issued June 19, 1962, are concerned with attachment devicesfor handles having a tubular core of plastic, for example. ApplicantsPatent No. 2,912,029, issued November 10, 1959, is concerned withattachment devices for a flat handle in which the handle has apre-fonned loop at each end for receiving an attachment ring.

The present invention is especially concerned with the attachment offlat handles which may be formed from continuous handle stock withoutthe necessity for providing pre-formed loops at the ends of the handle.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provideimproved handles and handle attachments.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved methods of makinghandles and handle attachments.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved handleattachment devices of extreme simplicity and economy.

Briefly stated, but without limitation, the present invention employsfiat handles of the type having elongated envelopes open at each end.Into each end is longitudinally inserted an elongated, flat strip ofstiff, bendable material, which serves as a reinforcement for the end ofthe handle and also as the basis for the handle attachment. The striphas a pre-formed bent end which abuts the end of the envelope, so as todetermine automatically the extent of insertion. After insertion of thestrip, the bent end is bent back upon the envelope, so as to embrace theenvelope end. Then the bight of a U-shaped ring is placed transverselyagainst the envelope, and the envelope and the strip are conjointly bentback over the bight of the ring to form a loop embracing the ring. Asimilar bending step locks the ring in place. The ends of the ring maybe inserted into corresponding ends of a tube fixed to a handbag frame,thereby to secure the handle end to the frame.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages and features of theinvention, and the manner in which the same "are accomplished, willbecome more readily apparent upon consideration of the followingdetailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplaryembodiments, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the attachmentof one end of a handbag handle tothe handbag frame;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating one form of attachment stripof the invention;

FIGURE 2A is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modificationof the leading end of the strip;

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary perspective views illustrating stepsin the formation of the handle attachment using the strip of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 6, 7, 9 and 10 are fragmentary perspective views illustratingalternative embodiments of the trailing strip end shown in itspre-formed bent configuration; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modifiedtrailing end prior to pre-forming the bend.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1 thereof, a handbag10 in accordance with conventional practice has a frame 12, usuallymetal, with a transverse sleeve 14 at each end thereof (only one endbeing shown). Opposite ends of the sleeve receive corresponding opposedends of a generally U-shaped ring 16, the bight of which, in accordancewith the invention, is embraced by a loop at the end of the handle 18.The handle is an elongated, generally flat envelope of plastic orleather material, for example. It may be formed by superimposing a pairof flat sheaths of material, each of which has two layers, and bystitching the sheaths together along their edges. It may also be formedby longitudinally folding a single sheet, turning in the edges oppositethe fold, and stitching the edges. It is common practice to employ afiller, which may be of cardboard, for example.

FIGURE 2 illustrates one form of reinforcing attachment device inaccordance with the invention. This de vice comprises an elongated flatstrip 20 of stiff, bendable material, such as metal. One end of thestrip (the leading end) may be formed with an arrowhead 22, while theother end of the strip (the trailing end) has a pre-formed lip 24angulated transversely from the body of the strip. The extremity of thelip is preferably pointed, as by bevelling at 26.

In the formation of a handle attachment in accordance with theinvention, as shown in FIGURE 3, leading end 22 of the strip 20 isinserted into the envelope between two .of the envelope layers, forexample, between the layers of a sheath 28, between the sheaths, orbetween a sheath layer and the filler 30 contained in one of thesheaths. The strip is inserted until the lip 24 abuts the correspondingend of the envelope, and then the lip is bent back upon the envelope soas to embrace the end of the envelope. Preferably the edge 26 is forcedto bite into the envelope material, as by striking the lip with ahammer. Next the bight of the U-shaped ring 16 is placed transverselyagainst one side of the envelope at a position about a quarter of aninch back from the end of the envelope, and then the envelope and thestrip are conjointly bent back over the bight of the ring, as shown inFIGURE 4, so as to embrace the bight of the ring and form a loop. Tosecure the ring in position this bending step is executed a second timeas shown in FIGURE 5. One of the envelope sheaths may be cut back asshown in FIG URE 3 to reduce the thickness of the rolled portions of thehandle. The opposed ends of the ring may now be spread temporarily andinserted within a sleeve 14 as shown in FIGURE 1.

The handle attachment is thus provided simply, economically, quickly,and reliably. Strip 20 reinforces the end of the handle and maintainsthe loop configuration for retaining the ring. Since the strip extendsinto the handle envelope only a relatively short distance (e.g.,approximately 2 inches) adjacent to the end, it does not interfere withthe flexibility of the remainder and major portion of the handle.

The tapered or arrowhead configuration at the leading end of the striptends to facilitate insertion of the strip into the envelope. It will benoted that the strip may be substantially narrower than the envelope. Ifdesired, the arrowhead may have a pointed tip 31, as shown in FIG- URE2A, angulated transversely to the body of the strip. The pointed tipbites into the material of the envelope after the strip is inserted tothe desired extent and serves to maintain the position of the stripduring the bending operations.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a strip 32 with a modified lip configuration 34. Inthis embodiment the extremity of 0 the lip is serrated as shown at 36,and the teeth of the serrations bite into the envelope material when thelip is forced back upon the envelope as shown in FIGURE 3.

3 The teeth may be slightly down-turned like the bevel of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a modified strip 38 having its lip end 40 widerthanthe body of the strip. The lip hasa serrated extremity 42. FIGURES 8-10show other embodiments with a wider lip end although the sameconfigurations can be used without the extra width. In

FIGURE the strip 44- has a Wide end 46 with the lip 48 having a plainedge. The versions of FIGURES 8 and 9 have bifurcated ends. In FIGURE 8the strip 50 has a wide end 52 with bifurcations 54 provided withpointed teeth 56. FIGURE 9 illustrates a similar version in which thestrip 58 has a wide end 60' with bifurcations'62, the end being shownalready reversely bent to form the lip and the bifurcations lacking theteeth 56 of the embodiment of FIGURE '8.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changescan be made without departing from'the principles and spirit of theinvention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Forexample, the strip and the envelope could be conjointly bent about thebight of a ring in the same direction as the pre-formed lip, rather thanoppositely as in FIGURE 4. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments are tobe considered illustrative, rather than restrictive of the invention,and those modifications which come within the meaning and range ofequivalents of the claims are to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. A handle for a handbag or the like, comprising an elongated, flatenvelope with an open end, and an elongated, flat strip or stiff,bendable material extending longitudinally into said open end a shortdistance, said envelope and said strip being conjointly rolled uponthemselves adjacent to said end to form a loop, said strip having oneend extending from the open end of said envelope and turned back uponsaid envelope to embrace the end of said envelope.

2. The handle of claim 1, there being a ring having a portion embracedby said loop.

3. The handle of claim 2', said ring being generally U- shaped with abight embraced by said loop and with opposed, spaced ends.

4. The handle of claim 1, said strip having an end inside said envelope,in the shape of an arrowhead.

5. The handle of claim 4, said arrowhead having a pointed tip angulatedtransversely to the body of said strip and biting into the material ofsaid envelope.

6. The handle of claim 1, said end of said strip having a pointedextremity biting into the material of said envelope.

7. The handle of claim 6, said pointed extremity being bevelled.

8. The handle of claim 6, said pointed extremity being serrated.

9. The handle of claim 1, said one end being wider than the adjacentportion of said strip.

10. The handle of claim 1, said one end being bifurcated.

11. The handle of claim 1, said envelope having a flat filler offlexible material therein.

12. A method of providing a handle envelope with a reinforcingattachment which comprises inserting longitudinally into one end of saidenvelope an elongated, flat strip of stiff, bendable material with anend left projecting from said end of said envelope, bending said pr0-jecting end back upon said envelope to embrace the end of the envelope,and conjointly bending the strip and the envelope back upon themselvesto form a loop.

13. The method of claim 12, in which a ring is placed upon one side ofsaid envelope with an element thereof extending transversely of theenvelope, and in which the strip and the envelope are bent back uponthemselves about said element so as to embrace it.

14. A method of providing a handle envelope with a reinforcingattachment, comprising inserting longitudinally into one end of saidenvelope an elongated, flat strip of stiff, bendable material with anend bent transversely therefrom until the end of the strip abuts the endof the envelope, bending said one end of said strip back upon saidenvelope so as to embrace the end of said envelope, and then conjointlybending the strip and envelope back upon themselves to form a loop.

15. A method of providing a reinforcing attachment device for a handleenvelope having a pair of elongated layers, one of which has aprojection beyond the other at an end of the envelope, which comprisesinserting longitudinally into said end of said envelope an elongated,flat strip of still, bendable material with a portion left overlappingsaid projection, placing a ring upon the overlapped portion of saidstrip and said layer projection with an element of the ring extendingtransversely of the envelope, and bending said layer projection and saidstrip portion conjointly back upon themselves twice and around said ringelement to form a loop embracing said ring element adjacent to the endof said other layer at said end of the envelope.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,600,970 9/1926Bosoa 1SO --33 2,978,776 4/1961 Reiter 33 X FOREIGN PATENTS 827,884 2/193 8 France. 198,939 6/ 1923 Great Britain.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A HANDLE FOR A HANDBAG OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED, FLATENVELOPE WITH AN OPEN END, AND AN ELONGATED, FLAT STRIP OR STIFF,BENDABLE MATERIAL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY INTO SAID OPEN END A SHORTDISTANCE, SAID ENVELOPE AND SAID STRIP BEING CONJOINTLY ROLLED UPONTHEMSELVES ADJACENT TO SAID END TO FORM A LOOP, SAID STRIP HAVING ONEEND EXTENDING FROM THE OPEN END OF SAID ENVELOPE AND TURNED BACK UPONSAID ENVELOPE TO EMBRACE THE END OF SAID ENVELOPE.